Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 23 ,1926. 1,514,574

J. T HALE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 27, 1924 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,574,574. PATENT OFFICE.

JACKSON T. HALE, OF FULTON COUNTY, GEOEGIA, ASSIGNOR ONE-THIRD TO CHRISTOPHER LA FAYETTE TIARIWIGK, F CLEVELAND, TENNESSEE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed March 27, 1924. Serial No. 702,404.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACKSON T. HALE, a citizcnof the United tiita-tes, residing in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, andpar'ticularly tosuch' engines wherein provision is made for firing of the combustible charge when the crank of the crank shaft to which the piston of the firing cylinder is connected is past dead center, whereby maximum power effect of the combustible charge is obtained and back kick prevented.

The main object of my invention is the provision in such an engine of means where by the combustible charge, although fired or ignited at a time when the crank is past dead center may be maintained at maximum compression until it is fired.

The invention consists in an internal com- 26 bustion engine of the type mentioned, wherein the top of the combustion chamber is in the form of a follower or compression piston, and in particular means for actuating said piston, whereby, upon the firing or 80 power stroke of the power piston of the en- .gine, saidcompression piston will descend in unison with the descent of the power piston, to a predetermined extent, for the purpose of maintaining the combustible charge 7 II! at maximum compression until ignition of said charge takes place.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the' invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated. Figure 10 1 is a vertical transversesection of an engine embodying my invention, taken in the plane ofline 1- 1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is an end View of the engine with parts broken away on line 2-2, Fig. 3, to show the means for actuating the compression pistons. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through two adjacent cylinders of a multiple cylinder engine constructed in accordance with my invention.

The cylinder casting 1 is suitably mounted upon the usual base 2 provided with a crank case 2. The cylinder 1 has a separable head 3 provided with the usual valve chamber 4. Vifiorking in the cylinder 1 is 66 the power piston 5 connected by a connecting rod 6 with the crank shaft 7 which is mounted in the usual hearings in the base 2.

Thecylinder head 3'is elongated toaccommodate a follower .or compression piston 8 connected by a connecting rod 9 with a rock shaft 10 mounted in suitable bearings 11 on the top of the cylinder head.

This connecting rod!) extends through a slot 12 in the top of the cylinder head, and any suitable means such as the slides 13 and swivellingbushings 14; may be provided for closing the opening formed in the top of the cylinder head by this slot.

On the outer end of the rock shaft 10 is mounted a crank arm 15 connected through a stud 16 with a link 17, which link is slotted at its lower end as at 18 to ride upon and be guided by the end of the crank shaft7. Adjacent to the crank shaft embracing end of the link 17 is a cam 19 arranged for constant operative engagement with rollers 20 and 21 carried by the end of the link 17 above and below the cam respectively. These rollers are mounted upon studs 22 and may, if desired, be provided with ball or other anti-friction bearings 23. 7

By this arrangement it will be seen that upon rotation of the crank shaft 7 and consequent rotation therewith of the cam 19, the link 17 by means of the cooperation of its rollers 20 and 21 with the cam 19 will be vertically reciprocated and will, in such .reciprocation, impart an oscillatory movement to the rock shaft 10, which in turn, through its connection 9 with the piston 8,.will reciprocate this piston in a manner to be hereinafter described.

As will be seen, particularly by reference to Fig. 3, all of the mechanism for actuating the link 17 is enclosed within the crank 95 case compartment,'and is therein provided with constant and eflicient lubrication.

I have hereinabove described the mechanism ofonly one cylinder, but it Will be apparent that all of the parts are the same 100 for each cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine; except that one rock shaft 10 and its operating mechanism alone is required for any desired number of cylinders, the setting of the cranks on such shaft being deter- 105' mined by the order of firing of the several cylinders.

The operation of the device is as follows Taking the parts of the mechanism in the positions in which they are shown in 110 Fig. 1, and assummg that the crank shaft 7 is turning in the direction'of the arrow, the parts are in the positions they will assume at the limit of thecompression stroke of the ena no, and, the engine as designed being of t e four-stroke cycle type, I will trace the 0 eration of the various parts throughout t e firing, exhausting and intake strokes. We will assume that a charge has been com: pressed and that the piston 5 is about to descend upon the firing stroke. As herelnbefore pointed out, my engine is designed to fire when the crank of the firing 'cylinder is well past dead center or, for"examp1e, when in the position indicated by the dotted lines marked a in Fig. 1. Now as the crank 7, which has, we will say, acquired momentum from the .ex los1on of previous charges, rotates, the piston 5 will be lowered in the cylinder, and at the same time the cam 19 will rotate and its portion a: will, through co-operation with the roller 20, de press the link 17, and, through this lmk and its connection with the rock shaft 10, will lower the follower or compression piston 8 in the cylinder head. The cam 19 is so designed that this movement of piston 8 will continue until the power piston 5 has descended to the dotted line position a above mentioned, at which time the portion y of cam 19 will be operating upon the roller 20. This portion y of the cam being concentric with the crankshaft, the piston 8 will be held in this lowered position while the'charge is fired, and will rise again during the exhaust stroke of the piston 5. The

contour of the cam is such that the compression piston is moved slowly durin the first part of its downward stroke an this motion is gradually accelerated until the limit of movement is reached, thussimulating the movement of the power piston and maintaining the space between the two substantially constant. It will, moreover, be noted that the cam 19 isso shaped that while the roller 21 is being operated upon to depress the link 17, the roller 20 is following the cam on a point diametrically opposite to the pointof contact of the roller 21, and when the cam is operating upon the roller 20 to impart an upward movement to the link 17, the roller 21 will similarly follow the diametrically opposite point of the cam from the roller 20. It will thus be seen that, both rollers being at all times in operative contact with the cam 19, a positive reciprocation in both directions is imparted to the link 17, and this positive movement is transmitted through the arm 15 to the rock shaft 10.

When. the piston 8 is at the limit of its downward movement, its connecting rod 9 and the crank of the rock shaft 10 to which it is connected are in direct vertical alignment with the center of the rock shaft, and

as it is at the time when these arts are -'so positioned that the ignition of t e charge takes place, the force of the explosion w1ll be borne directly by the rock shaft, which is of such rugged construction as'to well withstand the shock, and very little if any of this shock will he imparted through the rock shaft and its connections to the link 17 and cam and rollers 19, 20 and 2]. respectively, thus saving wear upon the various bcarings interposed inthe'connections of 1 take and compression strokes, the motions imparted to the piston 8" throu h the cam and other connections will be e same as those imparted during the firing and exhaust strokes. 1

Although ignition is so timed as'to occur when the crank is past dead center, no compression is lost owing to the fact that the size of the combustion chamber is maintained constant from the time'th'at the power piston 5 reaches the top of its compression stroke to the time of ignition of the charge.

Not only does this ignition timing tend to increased efficiency of the engine and consequent economy in 'fuel consumption, but

it prevents back kick due to prelgnition.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention as .applied toa multicylinder engine of the vertical ty c, it is obvious that it is also applicable to horizontal, V, and other types of engines. 1 Various changes in construction and arrangement of within the spirlt of the invention and the scope of the following claims. 4

What I claim is parts are contemplated as 1. 'In an internal combustion engine, a

power cylinder, a therein, a crank sha t and a connection between said piston and crank shafiya com: pression piston arranged in said cylinder above said power piston and adapted to ower piston working i move in unison therewith throughout a por- 2. In an internal combustion engine, a power cylinder, a power piston working therein, a crank shaft and a connection between said piston-and crank shaft, a compression piston arranged in said cylinder above said power piston and adapted to move in unison therewith throughout a portion of the power stroke, and to remain stationary during the remainder of said stroke, and means for imparting such movement to said compression piston including a cam carried by and revoluble with said crank shaft, 21 rock shaft mounted in bearings above the cylinder head, a connection betweeen said rock shaft and compression piston, and a link connected to saidrock shaft and provided with rollers engaging said cam at diametrically opposite points of its periphery, whereby a reciprocatory motion is imparted to said link and an oscillatory motion imparted through said link to said rock shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of March A. D, i

' J ACKSON' T. 

